The words rang in Rati's mind like a thunderclap, leaving her dazed and unable to speak further. The Lord of the Underworld already stood among them, beside her, and only now did she realize it. How could she not be startled? Before that dreadful news, all else paled. Even the Essence Nurturing Forest became wholly irrelevant. But as the Goddess's thoughts reached this stage, Konrad's steps halted and his eyes rose to trail a towering tree whose tip lost itself within the clouds.
Vast Life Essence swirled around that tree's trunk, branches, and leaves, bathing it in an emerald glow that clearly revealed its status:
A Royal Blood Tree! Moreover, one with thirteen mature fruits! Most Royal Blood Trees didn't possess more than five mature fruit. At best, some would boast six or seven. Trees with more than seven fruits were already unprecedented and would have undoubtedly driven deities mad with greed.
